Is there a government by gunmen? – Part 2

Continued from yesterday’s back page

Efforts to reach the Kaduna State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Mohammed Jalige were not successful, as he did not answer his call.

In a detailed report, we were told that Families of the abducted students told Daily Trust they were all asked to converge around a forest in Chikun Local Government Area and were then given directions into the forest. One of the relatives, who conveyed N500,000 to secure his sister’s release, said: ‘It was as if we were given the same time to bring the ransom. About 12 people were released on Saturday night among them the nine students; eight females and a male. Each family went with their ransom separately in a bag and we were all directed by the kidnappers,” he said.

Another family source who delivered N800,000 for the release of his niece said each family was given a particular amount to deliver with the least being N500,000. “Some paid N700,000, some paid N800,000 and another paid N1 million.

However, we paid N800, 000 to get my niece out of the forest.” Describing their journey, he said, “If you are travelling to Abuja from Kaduna, immediately after the NYSC camp, there is a solar light at a small village called Dutse. By the side, there is a tarred road that goes into Gwagwada but before we got to Gwagwada, there is a road that will lead you to Maro village. It was on our way to Maro that we were diverted into the forest. We are in serious trouble in this country because this thing happened just close to the NYSC camp.”

He said the experience was both frightening and terrible. “We met with security agents who were patrolling the area while on our way and they asked us where we were going to because it was late at night. We told them we were on our way to pay ransom for the release of our relatives and the security agents wished us good luck,” he said.
“We drove for about 30 minutes inside the bush and then we saw some people on motorcycles and we were asked to hop on.

We rode on the motorcycles for another 30 minutes deep into the forest.” He said as they travelled into the forest, armed men surrounded them and asked them to raise their hands. “We did as ordered because they were well-armed and so they searched our body and when they didn’t find anything, they collected the money and counted them all to be sure they were complete before they released the victims.” “We were asked to form a queue and one by one, we were attended to. If your money is complete, you will be asked to provide the name of the person you were paying for and the person will be called out then you will stand aside and the next person on the queue will be attended to,” he said. The source said during the encounter, some of the kidnappers tried to make small talk with them as one of them told them he was an ex-security agent who quit and joined the group while others claimed to be from the Niger Republic and Cameroon. The source told Daily Trust that the students and three others were released around 10 pm on Saturday but by the time they got to Abuja.

These are other reportorial evidence that Nigeria may actually now have THE FIFTH REALM OF THE ESTATE  meaning that there is a GOVERNMENT OF GUNMEN running their organised businesses as if the Federal government does not exist in their calculations.

It was reported that N2.5m ransom paid for release of kidnap victims in Oyo Published APRIL 16, 2020 by Vanguard just as Vanguard gathered that the victims were forced into a forest on Igboora-Abeokuta Road by the hoodlums. An impeccable source said, “The Olori and her daughter were released Wednesday night after payment of N2.5 million.

Another related reported says We paid N5m each to secure our release says Nasarawa kidnap victims Published September 28, 2020 by PUNCH. The Six officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps out of the 26 officers released recently by bandits in the Maraba -Udege area of the Nasarawa Local Government Area of Nasarawa State have said they paid between N5 m and N6m each as ransom.

Then came the tragic story of Kidnappers hanging a man on tree after collecting N1m ransom Published 16 July 2020 by Guardian.

The Kidnap gang has been arrested by operatives of the anti-kidnapping unit of the Rivers State police command for allegedly hanging one Mr Ereba Dinabari on a tree till he died after collecting N1 million ransom for his release.

TKidnappedhen we read that the wife of vigilante commander freed after paying ransom Published November 3, 2020 by Premium Times.  The family source, who is familiar with the kidnap incident, said the payment negotiations started with N50 million. They, however, finally agreed on N2 million which was paid to facilitate her release.

Kidnappers kill Abuja doctor after receiving N7.5 million ransom  says the Police as Published on June 29, 2020 by Premium Times. The Nigeria Police have revealed how Benedict Audu, a medical doctor practising in Abuja, and two others were killed by a criminal gang after being paid N7.5 million as ransom.

Then the story that Kidnappers Kill DSS Officer after Receiving N5m Ransom in Katsina Published September 15, 2020 by ThisDay.  A 33-year-old operative of the Department of State Services (DSS), Sadiq Abdullahi Bindawa, was reportedly killed by his suspected abductors after receiving the sum of N5 million as ransom.

Another incident was that of Kidnappers who killed a doctor, son after collecting N7.5m ransom as narrated by the Police and Published June 29, 2020 by PUNCH.

The story says that operatives of the Intelligence Response Team have arrested members of a kidnap syndicate, who allegedly killed three of their victims, after collecting N 7. 5 million ransom from their family members. Another is that Kidnapped Ondo Market Women Regain Freedom After Paying N5 Million Ransom Published November 11, 2020 by SaharaReporters.  SaharaReporters reliably gathered that the victims paid N5 million ransom before the kidnappers freed them. Then the story of abducted bishop, two others regain freedom after paying N1.5M ransom Published October 18, 2020 by BusinessDay.

Specifically, A bishop in ogwasiuku-uku axis of Delta State, Paul Okozi and two other persons has regained their freedom after payment of N1.5 million to their abductors.

Then the story that Police arrested kidnappers over death of victim following release as Published on AUGUST 28, 2020 by Vanguard.

The Police in Rivers state have apprehended four persons and tracking more in connections with the kidnap of 65-year-old Sokari Braide who died two days after being released following payment of N1.2Million ransom.

Then Kidnapped university official freed after paying ransom Published October 26, 2020 by Premium Times.  The clinical official attached to Federal University Dutse (FUD) in Jigawa State, who was kidnapped a few days ago, has been freed after paying a ransom.

Onwubiko is head of the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA).